The Rajah's Fortress — page 157: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

146 THE RAJAH’S FORTRESS. undoubtedly ignorant, for he made a hasty motion to Guy to slip into the cavern, and continued his own leisurely pace. The sudden expression of fear and alarm of Guy’s face, who now believed that all was lost, showed Topee that something was amiss. He wheeled around and saw the dacoit, who was watching Chutney with a somewhat similar expres- sion. The fellow was too much surprised to give the alarm, and before he could recover from his amaze- ment it was too late, for, with a spring like a tiger, Topee bore him to the ground, clutching his throat with his brawny hands. Guy expected every second to see the two other dacoits appear, but from the sounds that now came from the jungle he comprehended that they were wrangling over the flask of brandy. The fellow in Topee’s clutches had probably had some suspicions of his own which had induced him to follow the Chinaman unperceived. He doubt- less wished by this time that he had cast them to the winds, for he was in decidedly bad case, lying on the broad of his back with the Chinaman’s weight on his breast, and his fingers closed on his windpipe. The situation was critical all round. Guy hurried up to assist Topee, but the Chinaman motioned him back, and then soon put the dacoit out of sight and—existence. CONMUC WOO SS co